Grass Mat or Grass mixture ??

[domino]

Hey all

 

If i want to make a big layout plate ( 110x125 cm) with grass all over, what is better to use , grass mat or grass mixture that you sprinkle on ??

 

Brian

 

PS. I see that some grass mixture are self adhesive , how is this possible ??

[Martijn Meerts]

We've used a grass mat on my father's layout, and all I can say is, never again ;)

 

There's grass all over the attic, but very little left on the actual layout it self. On top of that, it doesn't look very good either ...

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Save the grass mats for quickie modules and dioramas.

 

It'll look good for golfing greens because it's too perfect.

 

#1 tip for a natural look is randomness is best.

 

Check out videos from woodland scenic, and mosterrailroad on utube for some tips.

 

I used a window screen, shovel, and a bucket to get 2 different colors of local dirt from 2 different dried puddles. That's where the cleanest and finest dirt is. Didn't take long. Used the darker dirt for the mountain and the lighter dirt for ground level.

 

Simple:

Paint the area that you want to cover with water based paints so that no unnatural colors such as white will show through.

 

Paint a 50-50 mixture of white glue onto the area and sprinkle the real dirt or artificial ground covering from at least a 15 inches. Let it float down. It will only stick to the glue and you can brush or blow off the loose stuff from where you don't want it. Start with darker green (olive) and then add a little lighter green to mimic new growth. I bought a spice shaker from woodland scenics so I can cover a lot of ground fast.

 

Then use a spray bottle with a capful of rubbing alcohol to the bottle, fill with water, and spray over your wet glue area. It'll pull the glues from below up to the new earth.

 

Whatever, you're trying to model, you can do it. It will look fine because your finished product is unique.

 

Remember, in modeling, you're creating an illusion.

Edited June 26, 2013 by Webskipper

[KenS]

I'm with Webskipper: the mats look too perfect for a layout that's trying to look at least somewhat "real".

 

That said, I used a Woodland Scenics grass mat for my Kitchen Table Layout for two years+, and it was exactly what I needed.  It protected the tabletop from the track (it was on a good polished dining room table) and gave me a neutral green surface that looked a lot more realistic than a table-cloth would have. But for my current layout I'm using green paint and scatter. The mat is rolled up in the corner of the dining room, just in case I need it again.

 

You might be able to use a mat as a starting point for further detailing, but if you're going that route, you're probably better off just slopping down some scenic cement (thinned white glue) and sprinkling on scatter in a mixture of colors, or something similar that produces a non-uniform surface. Outside of golf courses and really good athletic fields, a uniform surface of the same green just doesn't happen in the real world.

[domino]

Thanks all, think i will go with the sprinkled grass :)

 

Brian